The present invention relates generally to hermetic arrangements of the type almost universally used in refrigeration type systems such as home refrigerators or freezers, air conditioners or heat pumps, water coolers and similar refrigeration type systems and, more particularly, to a hermetic compressor housing arrangement for such systems of improved shape.
Hermetic compressors are quite well known with the conventional arrangement being an electric motor-compressor assembly, which is sometimes referred to simply as a compressor, being resiliently mounted in a sealed housing with the appropriate refrigerant conduits passing through that housing and with suitable electrical connections also passing through the housing.
Known compressor housings are typically formed from sheet metal as two housing portions which are joined by welding along a parting plane to encase the compressor within the housing. The typical shape of such a compressor housing has been that of a right circular cylinder with dome-like top and bottom ends. U.S. Pat. No. 3,663,127 illustrates a compressor housing having a generally elliptical configuration in the parting plane of the housing halves but still a generally cylindrical (straight side wall portion) shape. This prior patented housing efficiently utilizes the space available; however, the side wall portions which are generally straight in one plane are not as rigid as might be desired and tend to have natural resonant frequencies which lie both in the audible range and in the range where during compressor operation exciting frequencies of sufficient magnitude to cause overall noisy operation are present. In addition to the 60 cycle exciting frequencies associated with the motor, other noises associated with the compressor operation are present within the housing and an increase in housing rigidity as well as an increase in any of the natural resonant frequencies of the housing will reduce the overall noise associated with operation of the refrigeration system. Sound insulation has been a typical technique employed for reducing the noise of operation of such systems and particularly with contoured housings which have uniform rigidity and are poor sound attenuators such sound insulation is about the only remedy. Such contoured housings are, of course, also somewhat difficult to manufacture but do save space within the refrigerating device.
A readily manufactured hermetic compressor housing which inherently tends to reduce noise while effectively utilizing available space would be highly desirable.